Steam steering apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet, 1.

(N0 Model.)-

G. H. HAWKINS. STEAM STEERING APPARATUS. No. 515,772. Patented Mar. 6, 1894.

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WAMINGTON. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS H. HAWKINS, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. V

STEAM STEERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,772, dated March 6, 1894.

Application filed July 13, 1893- Serlal No. 480,329. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CYRUS H. HAWKINS, of

Brooklyn, Kings county, in the State of New voperates a lightwheel in the same manner as if steering by hand, and the movement in one direction or the other to a large or small keeping her course and the helm is nearly turning the vessel about.

extent is promptly followed by a corresponding movement of strong mechanism actuated by power, to turn the rudder. The motion is arrested as soon as the strongly moved mechanism has attained the position indicated by the hand-wheel. It turns and holds the rudder in the required position with great firmness but with a capacity for yielding slightly to the force of the waves, ice, or the like. I have made important improvements in the details. I arrange, by means of eccentric gear, for operating with little leverage and consequently with a quickmotion of the rudder, in making slight changes which are required at short intervals when the vessel is amid-ships, and for allowing a greater leverage, and consequently acting on the rudder more slowly but with greater force when the rudder is much vturned to either side, as in I make the same mechanism serve for steering at either end, and thus obtain an important advantage in those classes of vessels, as ferry-boats, which are required to move either end foremost.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and represent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view, the dotted lines showing the upper deck, and the strong lines showing thework below. Fig. 2 is a corresponding side elevation. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is aside elevation showing some of the parts. Fig. 4; is a central vertical section through the same parts. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectionon the line 55 in Fig. 4. 7 1

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

A is a rigid frame-work of cast-iron or other suitable material, A is ahorizontal cylinder fixed therein, B a piston therein, B a piston rod, 0 a stuifing box, and D, D, D a stout slide attached to the piston-rod, running on anti-friction-rollers E E. The parts D, D are arms rigidly cast or otherwise firmly fixed on the straight main body D. The lower arm D is strongly attached to the piston rod. The upper arm D is loosely connected to a, lever G carried on a rocking shaft G, a short hrm G of which extends downward and is loosely connected to a nut H, through which is tapped the screw-threaded valve stem I, which turns loosely in aslide valve K, and is revolved in one direction and the otherat the will of the hel msman, by apulley J. This pulley is turned in one direction and the other by a wire rope L or othersuitable connection, coiled around the pulley J, and extending through the deck above, and turned by a hand-wheel M.

. The main slideD is composed of two stout parallel bars side by side. The space between receives an eccentric gear wheel P keyedon the shaft P. A curved series of stout pins D? extend across the space in the slide and are properly arranged to engage with the teeth of the eccentric wheel P. On

the shaft P are loosely mounted two circumferentiall y grooved wheels P and P. On the outer face of each of these wheels are recesses 19, adapted to receive the teeth of clutches R and S, which latter are feathered on the shaft and are moved end-wise thereon by means of screws U, V, which are provided respectively with pulleys U and V, and are operated by cords W, which extend to wheels N, controlled by the helmsman at the two ends of the boat.

Z is a longitudinal bar let into a longitudinal groove or spline in the shaft P, and capable of'sliding longitudinally therein. It is of so much greater length than the shaft that it insures that only one of the clutches Bands can be engaged with its respective wheel P IOC central position.

ment of thelatter, communicated through the pins D and the eccentric gear wheel P and shaft P, turn the clutchesR and S. It is possible to set these clutches so that both are out of engagement with their respective wheels P ,P This condition is desired in any emergency when it becomes necessary to steer by hand;-the steering is then effected by the hands of men directly applied to a stout ordinary steering wheel and Windlass above the deck.

In preparing for steering by steam the helmsman at one end of the boat, the left in Fig. 2, turns the wheel N and engages the clutch R with the wheel P leaving the other clutch S out of connection and consequently leaving the wheel P free to turn loosely on the shaft P. The helmsman next takes hold of the light steering wheel M and as he turns it alternately to a small extent in one direction or the other, the movement correspondingly turns the valve-stem I. The turning of this stem by the action of its screw-thread in the nut H, moves it endwise and carries with it the valve K. This movement discharges a portion of the steam from one end of the cylinder A, while ithas free admission to the opposite end, and the piston yields to the movement andtravels along in .the cylinder, carrying with it the piston rod B and slide D,-giving'astrong rotation to the shaft P, and operating the connected wheel P and chain Qfiand turning the rudder in the desired direction. But the flow of steam thus induced, escaping from one end of the cylinder A, continues but a very brief period, because the same prompt movement of the piston and slide which effects the steering also turns the shaft G, thereby moving the not H endwise, and restoring the valve K againto its middle and inert position in which it is represented.

Now the rudder remains fixed in the new positionexcept that it can yield to sufficient forces by the elastic action of the steam in the two ends of the cylinder until thehelmsman again turns his hand-wheel M either in the'same direction as before or in the oppositedirection, when the series of changes will be repeated.

My improved apparatus allows the helm to be shifted very promptly to the slight extent required in ordinary keeping the course, because the smallest side of the eccentric gear wheel is then engaged with its'respecti've pins D ,"a'ndaslight movement of the piston makes a-large turning movement of the shaftP and consequently a large movement of the rudder. When it becomes necessary to turn the vessel about, the helmsman turns the wheel M actively such anum'ber of rotations as is required to shift the valve K in the proper direction and to keep it shifted to induce a turning movementnotwithstanding the endwise movement of theslide'D and the consequent movement of the nut II in the direction tending to return the valve back to its When by such movement the piston has been forced nearly or quite to one end of the cylinder, the slideD has been correspondingly moved and the wheel P has been half rotated bringing its full side into engagement with the proper pins at the corresponding end of the series. Now the slide has more leverage on the rudder and it acts with the great force required to hold the rudder hard over.

When it is required in operating vessels such as ferry-boats, and the helmsman shifts his position alternately from a wheel M near one end of the boat toacorresponding wheel near the other end of the boat, he takes care before leaving the first end to turn the proper wheel N and draw the clutch for that end of the boat out of engagement. Then, having walked to the opposite end, he turns the proper wheel N and engages the clutch for that end of the boat, and the steering proceeds as before but effecting the steering by the rudder which before was idle. In these changes of condition the sliding bar-Z performs an important duty, avoiding the possibility of having both clutches R and Sen-gaged at once: the helmsman cannot engage the clutch at the one end of theboat unt-ilhe'has made the proper movement's'to disengage the clutch at the other end.

I attach importan'ceto the eccentric formof the wheel P and to the corresponding'arra'ngement of the pins D because it'allows thepiston to act on the rudder with a greater leverage when it is hard over toeither side, and the resistance of it's turning must be great, than it does when it is nearly in line with'the keel and the resistance toitsturningissmall. It is at long intervals in going aboutthat'the rudder is turned far to either side'so asto render available the maximum action of thesecentric gearin g. In ordinary steering, on the contrary, while keeping a'course the rudder is turned many times to a slight extent in 0pposite directions near its middle position. My eccentric gearing allowsa slow, motion of the piston to effect a rapid movement of the rudder under these last described conditions. Thus the motivepower is proportioned'tothe resistance which it is to meet.

I attach importance to the arm D on the slide D and the corresponding extension of the arm G on the rocking shaft 'G, because it allows the communication of theproperslight motions 'to the nut H Without rocking the shaft G to any great extent and consequently throwing the arms G and G into too-greatly oblique positions.

I claim as my invention- 1. In steam-steering apparatus, the valve K, the screw-threaded rodI, the pulley J and connections operated by the helmsman, and the nut H, in combination with the piston B, piston-rod B, slide D and connections therefrom to the rudder, and with the arm D on said slide,'and the arms G, G on the shaft G receiving motion from such arm D so as to throw said valve K into a neutral position and hold the rudder, all substantially as herein specified.

2. In steam-steering apparatus, the eccentric gear-wheel P and correspondingly arranged engaging means, as the pins D set in position when the piston has moved sufi'iciently, all arranged for joint operation sub stantially as herein specified.

3. In a steam-steering apparatus having a cylinder and means controlled by the helmsman for admitting and discharging fluid from the ends alternately, and a piston and con- I nection for operating arudder therefrom, the

two clutches R and S adapted to allow the steering mechanism to be connected to the rudder at either or at neither end at will, as

herein specified.

4. In steam-steering apparatus having a cylinder and means controlled by the helmsman for admitting and discharging fluid from the ends alternately and a piston and connections for operating a rudder therefrom the two clutches R and S adapted to allow the steering mechanism to be connected to the rudder at either or at neither end, at will, and the bar Z arranged to forbid the connection at both ends at once, all substantially as herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention. above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CYRUS H. HAWKINS. 

